


Not another Pill (You're a total mystery)

by Androids_in_Metropolis



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Gen, Sick Fic, tooth rotting fluff m8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 17:30:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5172968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Androids_in_Metropolis/pseuds/Androids_in_Metropolis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She wishes she knew about him...about his history, his stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not another Pill (You're a total mystery)

**Author's Note:**

> First Veronica Mars fanfic!

Logan Echolls...The six feet of annoying, rich, surprisingly soft, bad boy that he was just wasn’t...wasn’t Logan-y today. He was laying with his head in his hands on his desk; Not an unusual position for the often hung over Echolls, but something was different this time and Veronica couldn’t quite put her finger on it. 

“What do we have here, oh King of the hung over?” Veronica churtled, pushing her worried aside and swinging her chair around to sit beside him. Since the hotel stake out they had been almost friends, and a little bit of sass without mean-spirited sarcasm was becoming the norm. “Drink too much on a school night?” she teased, a smile playing at her pink glossed lips. 

“Shut up, Mars,” Logan mumbled, barely audible to even the closest eaves droppers. His mouth was pressed into the knit of his sweater, his eyes squeezed tightly closed against the invading light battling its way through his eyelids. He wished she’d be quiet and scoot back...he felt like his head was on the virge of combustion and he doubted that the Queen of Crime would enjoy washing his petrid brains out of her blond locks. 

“Oh, touchy, touchy,” Veronica teased, though she did scoot an inch or two away from him towards her own desk. The class was about to start, though God help her because she couldn’t even remember what class it was...She wondered absentmindedly which bars Logan had been flashing his fake ID at the night before as the lecture began...apparently it was a government class. 

Logan didn’t reply, deciding it just wasn’t worth it. He was way too tired to pick a fight with a Mars. He was so bad...He actually couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this way; Was he ten? Eight? His mom had been there...his dad had been mad at him for it. He had heaved his guts onto the carpet. He’d earned a whipping for that one, all the while his mother was watching, not doing anything. Not offering help as he cried. 

The sound of Logan’s chair clattering to the floor brought Veronica back from dream land. Logan was standing, hand over his mouth...for the first time that day Veronica got a good look at his face as she instinctively stood up and wrapped an arm around him, taking him from the room filled with curious eyes. 

Logan’s face was flushed, his eyes were wide and bloodshot. He looked like he actually had a fever, his cheeks were flushed and his forehead was sweaty. His hand was shaking, and she felt him trying to hold her hand as he retched into the trashcan outside the classroom. She let him hold her hand. 

Logan was back to the last time he had been like this...he had been beaten more than once over the course of that illness. He had vomited on the carpet, on his bed, in his own hair...his father had been home that whole week, watching him. 

That wasn’t the last time he had been sick, though, he realised. The last time had been just the year before, but no one had been there for that. He had taken care of himself. He was used to taking care of himself, even if it wasn’t how people normally thought of it; He had all the money he could ever need, but money doesn’t buy people...it doesn’t buy family. It didn’t save his mom, and it couldn’t make his dad take a minute out of his day to just hold his kids hair out of his face when he was in so much pain and retching into an expensive mixing bowl. Money didn’t buy what really mattered. 

Logan slumped against the wall, sliding into a sitting position on the hall floor, letting himself fight away the memories. They hurt too much, making him feel worse that he already did. Veronica was standing protectively over him (he wondered, did his mother ever stand like that?), keeping the prying eyes of the crowd away from Logan. 

He was obviously dealing with something, and even if he was just hungover, she felt awful for him. She didn’t think he’d want to go back to his house...she didn’t know why he hated being at home so much, but she didn’t think now was the moment to question it. She’d take him to her house. That was the only other option, he obviously couldn’t stay at school.

“You done?” She asked him, petting away the hair from in his closed eyes before she really thought about what she was doing. He didn’t stop her. He didn’t answer either, just grabbing her free hand and holding it. His grip was so tight that it hurt. 

“I’m gonna take you back to my place, okay?” she asked, lowering her voice, pulling him awkwardly to his feet and nodding at teachers as they started their slow trek down the hall to the end of the school. “No, arguments,” she added as an afterthought; She didn’t think he would fight her, but if he did it served as a precaution. 

She got him into her car, grabbing Wallace’s used lunch bag from her friends hands and handing it to Logan. ‘In case of accident,’ she told him, trying not to make a face. She didn’t much like the thought of vomit in her car, even if it was part of the job on the regular. Wallace was looking at her in utter confusion.

“Why are you bringing him to your house?” he asked her, quirking an eyebrow and running his hand through his hair. He was settling back, waiting for a better explanation than just ‘cos’. She looked at her almost step-brother, appraising him. 

“Because I’m not bringing him to his,” she replied somewhat tartly. Honestly she wasn’t sure why she was bringing him to her house, why she really cared at all where he went or how he felt. All she knew was that she did, and that after the night at the hotel waiting for his mother than never appeared...after that she knew she’d be stuck with him. “Okay?” she asked Wallace, her tone softer this time. Wallace nodded, shurgging. 

“Whatever Veronica. I’ll be dropping by after school, no arguments,” he said, protective of his best friend. “I gotta go, okay? Be careful,” he told her, her tone a warning. He was suspicious of Logan, and somewhat rightly so. He hadn’t been the best friend to Veronica that he could have been. He had teased her beyond the point of friendly annoyance on more than one occasion, and threatened her even by saying the worst things...Wallace had to push the thoughts away and quickly start to walk, stopping himself from outright forbidding her to be alone with him; She could take care of herself, plus he knew she’d never listen. 

\-----------------

Veronica made her first stop at Logan’s house, leaving him asleep in the passenger side. She knew his house like the back of her hand...the number of times she had been there, watching Lily, or checking up on the neighborhood party animal himself. She managed to climb through his unlocked bedroom window, grabbing everything that looked like it would be useful; Toothbrush, some changes of clothes, a bag labeled ‘medi pedal’ which she assumed was his way of saying the more common ‘meds’. 

When she got back to the car Logan was awake, his eyes squeezed shut; He didn’t look happy, or even like he had any idea of what was going on. He was hugging himself, and for a moment Veronica saw the child he probably once was...then it was the same angry, sad teenager again that he had been at the hotel. There were tears in his eyes when he opened them. 

“Well, of course I’m with the local sheriff,” he mumbled, trying for snappy but falling on pathetic. “What am I doing in your car...and why do you have my things?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he saw his bag, a telltale orange shirt sleeve sticking out of the stuck zipper. 

“Well, daddy wasn’t home so I guess you have no choice but to come to my house, sickly boy,” she repled, stretching the truth a little; His father was home, but based on what she knew about Logan’s past and the yelling that had made it’s way up to Logan’s bedroom when she had been in there Aaron Echolls wasn’t really the nursing type...then again, neither was she. 

“‘m not sick,” Logan argued, apparently unable to help himself from being defiant even when there was no believable alternative. He already looked like he might be falling asleep as he spoke…

“Of course you’re not,” Veronica mumbled, reaching across the stick shift and gently pushing his hair out of his face, almost on instinct. He looked so sweet and innocent in his sleep. She wondered about the scars he had; Physically and mentally. She wondered who had given him each and every one of those scars, and she wondered if she was one of the people that put the knife in and then twisted it. She hoped she was a good person. “Of course not,” she mumbled again, starting the car and speeding out of his immaculate driveway. 

\------------------

Logan had gotten worse; He wasn’t himself, or maybe he was, but it wasn’t the normal, bitchy Logan. This Logan was almost babyish, tired and subdued. He wasn’t arguing, and he did as he was told. Veronica helped him change into sweatpants and a blue t-shirt, helping him to sit down (for some reason it seemed to pain him to sit), and then starting her own investigation.

“Logan,” she started slowly, “how are you feeling?” as she spoke she was invading his privacy, looking through the interestingly named bag she had picked up in his room; Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, lactose tablets, vitamins...down to the average band aids and self help books. She was more than a little surprised by the contents, but she tried her best to mask it; You shouldn’t be surprised by what you shouldn’t have been looking at. 

“Surprised, Mars?” Logan asked, his tone a low drawl...so slow and even it was almost creepy. “Yes, I’ll admit it!” he yelled with some actual gusto (always one for theatrics). “I, an Echolls, am hyped up on prozac...explains a lot, right?” he was laughing now, a kind of sad, desperate laugh. It was scaring Veronica.

“Logan, Logan,” she said, jumping to her feet and putting a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, calm down, it’s okay. I didn’t think anything. You’re just fine,” she mumbled, unsure of what she should be saying or what would make him stop laughing...tears were running down his cheeks. 

To her surprise she felt his arms wrapping around her waist, his head resting on her chest. He was still crying, but now it seemed more real...less manic. Less scary, and less unknown. She sat still, petting his hair and whispering whatever comforting thing came to mind. She wondered about Logan sometimes...she wondered what kind of things he kept to himself, bottled up inside his shaking body.

When her father walked in and hour and a half later the odd pair were sitting on Veronica’s bed, the trash can pulled up the the edge of the bed. There were tissues littering everything, and Logan was sleeping, his head resting on Veronica’s shoulder. She was focussed on her lap top, no doubt pulling up files she wasn’t supposed to be looking at. 

“What’s this?” Keith asked, raising one of his eyebrows so high it nearly put hair on his decidedly balding head. “I hope this isn’t some kind of secret operation, I thought you were better at hiding than this.” 

Veronica chuckled slightly, looking up at her father. She wondered how she would explain this away; Say it like it was? That was hardly her style, but….

“Logan was sick, and his house isn’t...very hospitable,” she explained, keeping it simple. 

Keith nodded, going over it in his head. It occurred to him that his daughter might be lying, but after a brief glance at said boy it was obvious that he was, in fact, rather unwell. He stepped over a pile of books, sitting on the edge of the bed. He put a hand on Logan’s forehead, feeling the heat radiating off the teenager. He definitely had a fever. He felt bad for the Echolls kids...after the older of the two Echolls’ kids had left the house there had been an investigation into child abuse at the house, but he had never been able to prove anything, despite the bruises, cuts, burns, tears...he felt terrible for that. 

“He staying here, then?” Keith asked, nodding at Logan as he got up. He made a note to take care of the kid...even if he was in love with his daughter (it was easy to see). 

“Yeah,” Veronica whispered, turning to Logan, wrapping a protective arms around him. It was plain to see she loved him too. 

\------------------------

Wallace let himself into the Mars’ house, surprised to see Keith at home. He was in the kitchen, cooking some rice...or something, Wallace guessed. He was never good in the kitchen. 

“Hey Mr. Mars, Veronica in?” he asked, putting his backpack down on a kitchen chair and shrugging of his jacket. He was at home in the Mars’ house. 

“Yeah, she’s with Logan in her bedroom,” Keith replied, trying not to think about the wording. “He’s asleep, so be quiet, k?” he said, turning away from whatever he was stirring on the stove. 

“And you’re okay with that?” Wallace asked slowly, a little skeptical. 

“Yes, Wallace. I guess I am...he’s a good kid,” Keith answered, setting down the spoon and turning his full attention to Wallace. “He’s a good kid,” he repeated. 

Wallace nodded, not really believing him. He let himself quietly into Veronica’s room, finding both parties curled up on the bed. Veronica was clicking away on her computer, Logan’s head in her lap as she worked. She was absentmindedly touching his hair…

Wallace let himself silently out of the room. 

“How were they?” Keith asked him, a little surprised to see Wallace again so soon. Usually he and Veronica would spend hours together after school, sometimes even sleeping over. 

“I don’t think I gotta worry about Logan,” Wallace laughed a little ruefully. “He’s fast asleep. Veronica is like...kinda into him, I guess, maybe,” he mumbled, a little disappointed. He should have seen it sooner, but who was he to get in the way of Veronica Mars when she was happy?

The rest of the evening was peaceful; Veronica had dinner, had Logan eat, and they both fell asleep in her bed. Keith and Wallace fell asleep on the couch watching whatever sport was in season. 

Maybe some things could be mended?

Veronica fell asleep hoping that she wouldn’t end up being one of Logan’s scars. That she wouldn’t be a reason for another pill in his bag, or another nightmare to wake him up screaming. 

Running her hands through his sweaty hair to calm him down, to reassure him someone was there, she allowed herself to think the unthinkable; Maybe she, Veronica Mars, was in love with an Echolls...and not the movie star.

**Author's Note:**

> Please please please review and prompt me if you want more :) !


End file.
